SS Rajamouli wins Best Director for blockbuster RRR at New York Film Critics Circle

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli has won the Best Director Award for his Telugu blockbuster RRR at the New York Film Critics Circle. The awards were announced on Friday. Rajamouli’s big feat at the international awards circuit has come as a surprise as he was competing with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Darron Aronofsky, Sarah Polley, and Gina Prince-Blythewood, Variety reported on Friday.

Although the movie wasn’t selected to represent India in the international feature category, Variance Films has mounted a substantial campaign to have the film recognised in the general categories including best picture, the report said.

This is the first international honour for RRR, which is set in the 1920s. The movie tells the tale of two rebels, Telugu freedom fighters Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem, in British-ruled India who take on the might of the empire. The movie stars NTR Jr, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and Shriya Saran. The film was released across the globe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam simultaneously. Since its release in March 2022, the movie has collected over Rs 1200 crore worldwide during its theatrical run.  

The film is competing to find a nomination spot in the Oscars in the categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and more. However, it was not selected as India’s official entry for Oscars 2023.

Rajamouli, who became famous after the Bahubali series, has been touring the United States promoting the film. He has also travelled to the United Kingdom to kickstart its BAFTA campaign.

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